Shadow und der Fluch des Khan (1994)

Shadow und der Fluch des Khan: Directed by Russell Mulcahy. With Alec Baldwin, John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller, Peter Boyle. In 1930s New York City, The Shadow (Alec Baldwin) battles his nemesis, Shiwan Khan (John Lone), who is building an atomic bomb.

“I donu0026#39;t really understand the bad rep this movie has gotten. Sure, its not u0026quot;high artu0026quot; (then again, Shakespeare, Dickens and Herodetus werenu0026#39;t meant to be, or perceived as, high art when they were written). What The Shadow was, and remains, in my eyes, is one of the best super-hero adaptations ever (the best until X-Men came out, in my opinion).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIu0026#39;m not terribly familiar with the old radio drama Shadow, so I canu0026#39;t speak as to the details, but the feeling, the essence of the movie fits with what Iu0026#39;ve experienced. Much more importantly, it stand out well on its own.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSpecial effects play a major part, but are not of the over-played. Action is well done, and acting is acceptable, though rarely outstanding (the Shadowu0026#39;s cabbie Shrebnitz is an engrossing exception).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat really makes this movie stand out is the layering. Plots, characters, backgrounds, all are complex. The movieu0026#39;s basic plot is well-paced, occasionally a bit slow, but it makes up for it with the incredible wealth of details it packs in. Watching the movie, one gets the sense of an incredible amount of backstory for each character (little things, like the family life of some of the Shadowu0026#39;s agents, barely glimpsed, or even just the complex web of those agents across the city), or that around the corner there lies a world to explore.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis movie can be difficult to classify, which may lead to its unpopularity. Clearly its not a drama, not is it a comedy, nor even entirely an action. Scifi or fantasy are both possible descriptions, but they fail. The Shadow is comicbook style, in the truest sense of the genre. Complex characters, pull-pounding action, some jokes, some drama…it all mixes together. If you can get a bead on the style, its a very enjoyable movie, far ahead of most other super-hero films (Superman, Batman, the Phantom, etc.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI recommend watching it, but only with an open mind.”